P a g e | 1 Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) Kyrgyzstan: Border Conflict DREF Operation n° MDRKG013 Glide n°: OT-2021-000046-KGZ Date of issue: 14 May 2021 Expected timeframe: 5 months Expected end date: 31 October 2021 Category allocated to the crisis: Yellow DREF allocated: CHF 337,871 Total number of people affected: Over 40,000 Number of people to be - at least 6,000 via DREF EPoA, assisted: - a total of 9,000 Federation- wide1 Provinces affected: Batken province Provinces/Regions Batken province targeted: Host National Society presence: The Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan (RCSK), established in 1926, is the largest local humanitarian organization in the country. The National Society has its headquarters office in Bishkek and its regional branches in the country’s seven provinces, including in the affected Batken province. The RCSK has over 200 staff and 3,866 active volunteers across Kyrgyzstan, including over 100 experienced and trained National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) members through ICRC long-term program support. The RCSK Batken Branch has 16 staff and 207 volunteers. For this emergency, in addition to the RCSK Batken Branch staff and volunteers, the National Society deployed 43 staff and volunteers, including experienced NDRT members from Osh, Jalal-Abad, Issyk-Kul, Chui, Talas and Naryn regions, and from its headquarters.. Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners actively involved in the operation: The RCSK has been actively liaising and hosting coordination meetings with the Movement partners, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and in-country partner national societies– German Red Cross, Swiss Red Cross and Italian Red Cross. Other partner organizations actively involved in the operation: The RCSK is complementing the government’s response and is in close coordination with the Ministry of Emergency Situation, the Batken province administration, Disaster Response and Coordination Unit (DRCU) members. UNICEF, , UNFPA have contributed to the RCSK operation and discussions are taking place with regard to and IOM support and further collaboration. A. Situation analysis Description of the disaster On 28-29 April 2021, the tensions between the residents of Kyrgyzstan (Batken province) and Tajikistan (Sughd province) in the border areas escalated into an armed conflict, resulting in casualties and displacement of thousands of people in both countries. While the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan engaged in emergency discussions to stabilize the situation, the number of evacuated people grew rapidly within two days from several hundreds to several thousands in both sides, with over 40,000 people evacuated on the Kyrgyzstan side. On 29 April, the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan announced their agreement on returning to status quo and continued to work during 30 April – 3 May on stabilizing the situation in border areas, including on cessation of all hostilities and withdrawal of military forces from the point of contact. By 12 May 2021, majority of the evacuees have returned to their homes, and the remaining ones have 1 Other RCRC Movement partners, including ICRC are also supporting RCSK CVA to the affected families. Therefore, the total number of assisted families will be 1,800 (approximately 9,000 people). See complete list under ‘movement coordination’ on page 5. Public P a g e | 2 stayed with their relatives, as there were still reports that a significant number of people are fearing to go back and are staying with host families in neighbouring villages or districts. *The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the IFRC. The conflict, meanwhile, have inflicted substantial losses and damages. In Kyrgyzstan, according to the government agencies’ reports, 36 people died and over 156 people were injured as a result of the clashes, including military personnel and medical staff. 220 facilities were destroyed throughout the region, including 136 houses, 15 social facilities, 27 gas stations, 42 shops2. Over 40,000 people were reported to have been evacuated or fled from the border villages in Kyrgyzstan, according to the local government. The majority of these displaced people – over 25,000 individuals – were concentrated in Leilek district. The displaced population found refuge with their relatives or host families in neighbouring villages, districts, or resided at temporary community shelters established in Batken and Leilek districts by the government (mainly in school, lyceum, gymnasium, sport hall and hotel facilities). With the situation stabilizing and the number of affected people rapidly increasing, the National Society decided to apply for a DREF to address immediate needs of affected population. As of 12 May 2021; • All Collective centres (12) have been closed. Citizens who were evacuated from the conflict zones on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border were sent back either their homes or their relatives`. Transport was organized for residents so that they could get to their homes and camps (those who lost houses). • Families of Killed people (36) are receiving new houses. On 9 May, construction of housing by the GoK for the families of 36 Kyrgyz citizens who died as a result of the armed conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border began in the city of Batken. • Official toll of the conflict is 36 people died; 156 people are injured. Compensation has been paid to families of the Dead and the injured. Important to note: the average salary in KG is around approx. KGS 20,000 (equalling approx. USD 210) o The families of the killed Kyrgyzstanis will receive KGS 1 million each (about USD 12,500); o Injured citizens who received serious bodily injuries - 100 thousand each (about USD 1,250); o Victims who received less serious bodily injuries - 50 thousand each (about USD 600); o Victims who received minor injuries from a bullet wound, resulting in a short-term health disorder - 30 thousand (about USD 375). 2 Source: MoES, 12 May 2021. Public P a g e | 3 Picture 1: From the early hours of the crisis, RCSK has been supporting affected population in Batken province in coordination with government and other organizations. Photo credit: RCSK Summary of the current response Overview of Host National Society Response Action From the very beginning of the crisis, on 28-29 April, the RCSK Batken Branch team was involved in the provision of first aid to the wounded people and their transportation to local hospitals. With the number of evacuated people increasing by the hour in the first days, the RCSK mobilized its resources to provide food, drinking water, psychological first aid, essential relief items, including personal protection equipment and hygiene kits at temporary community shelters in Batken district. The RCSK also supported local government agencies (the Ministry of Emergency Situations and local administrations) with evacuation, transportation of women, older people and children from the affected villages. To support the RCSK Batken Branch, the National Society mobilized its NDRT members from other provincial branches and its headquarters, and also mobilized hygiene kits and other essential relief items from its prepositioned stocks in Osh, Jalal-Abad, Talas and Bishkek warehouses. As of 8 May, a total of 43 staff and members were mobilized from other regions and Bishkek in support of the RCSK’s response activities in the areas with relief distributions (food, household items), PSS, emergency shelter and WASH as well as to support ongoing assessments in Batken province in coordination with government and other humanitarian organizations. Due to security constrains on the ground and the large territory involved, assessment and response to Picture 3: RCSK has been providing psycho- remote villages in the Leilek district by the RSCK only started from the social support to evacuated women and children agreement on returning to status quo between both countries, on 30 April in Batken. Photo credit: RCSK with the normalization and deconfinement of Leilek district. The key response components of the RCSK to-date can be summarized as follows: Relief distribution (food, household items): Over the first week since the conflict occurred, the RCSK team, with the support of the ICRC, organized hot meals for 730 people residing at temporary community shelters in Batken town and Kyzyl-Jol village, as well as for 140 response personnel of different agencies, including medical workers, rescue teams, in Batken province. The National Society, with support of its partners, provided humanitarian assistance to 578 families affected by the conflict (kitchen sets, hygiene kits, bed liners, and others) in Batken district (193 families / 965 individuals) and in Leilek district (385 families / 1,925 individuals). Public P a g e | 4 PSS: All displaced persons, mainly women and children under 10 years old, who stayed in temporary community shelters in Batken province were provided with psychosocial support from the RCSK staff who were trained in the past years through ICRC’s Emergency Preparedness and Response program (EPR). This support was performed in all 13 community centers, where the highest peak of displaced people reached 3,864 families or 15,723 individuals, out of which, more than 10,000 were children under 10 years of age. The RCSK PSS activities continue in support of the affected population. Two MHPSS specialists were deployed by the ICRC to support